If you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes. It’s as simple as that. And cheating? Well, that’s a VIP pass to the “bad decisions” club. When you betray someone, you don’t exactly earn the right to come knocking later, asking for favors. Co-parenting is already tricky, but when infidelity is involved, it’s a whole new level of awkwardness.
One Redditor found himself in a tricky situation when his ex-wife, who cheated on him with her first husband, came crawling back, asking him to babysit all of her 4 kids.
More info: Reddit
Asking an ex for favors is like expired coupons—useless, but you still try to cash them in
Image credits: cottonbro studio / Pexels (not the actual photo)
One woman cheats on her husband with her ex and then marries him, later asks the ex she cheated on to babysit her 4 kids
Image credits: Keira Burton / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The man divorces his wife after she cheats on him and starts sharing custody of their 5-year-old son
Image credits: Andrew Neel / Pexels (not the actual photo)
After the divorce, the woman’s life takes a turn as her family cuts contact with her after finding out about her infidelity and her husband gets seriously ill
Image credits: Tima Miroshnichenko / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The woman asks the ex she cheated on to help take care of her 4 kids, as she has to spend most of her time at the hospital, with her husband
Image credits: New_School_1239
The man steps up and takes care of their shared son more, but refuses to help out with the ex’s other 4 kids, who aren’t his
The OP (original poster) was married to his ex for 2 years and played the role of stepdad to her 2 kids from a previous relationship. But their picture-perfect blended family came crashing down when the wife decided to rekindle things with her first husband. And by “rekindle” I mean cheat. Brutal. So, the OP packed his bags, filed for divorce, and watched as her own family disowned her for being unfaithful.
After a few years and a couple more kids with her ex-turned-current hubby, karma was clearly working overtime. Sadly, her husband was diagnosed with cancer, a truly heartbreaking situation. And despite everything, the OP stepped up and started taking care of their shared son more often.
But that wasn’t enough for her. Because one day, his ex hit him with a wild request: she asked him to start taking all of her kids when he picked up their son. Ma’am, what? Apparently, she was spending most of her time at the hospital, her friends had bailed on her, and her family still wanted nothing to do with her.
Meanwhile, the OP was just trying to be a good dad to his son, not run a free daycare. He politely declined but then found himself feeling guilty. But should he? Does he really owe his ex-wife a favor after everything she put him through?
Image credits: Alex Green / Pexels (not the actual photo)
I get it. It’s easy to feel guilty when someone is struggling, especially when kids are involved. But let’s be real—our guy has zero obligation to care for children that aren’t his. He signed up to be a dad, not a full-time rescue squad, for his ex’s life choices. Boundaries are everything in co-parenting, especially when there’s a messy history involved.
Now, co-parenting doesn’t mean you have to be besties with your ex. It means doing what’s best for the kids while keeping your sanity intact. The pros say that setting clear boundaries is non-negotiable—define responsibilities, stick to schedules, but make important decisions involving kids together. And, if emotions are running high, communicate through neutral channels or, you know, lawyers.
Flexibility is cool, but not when it starts feeling like you’re being taken advantage of, especially by someone who cheated. Because the effects of cheating don’t just disappear after a breakup. Cheating isn’t just a one-time “oopsie”—it’s a trust-annihilating, relationship-torching disaster that can stay with you even for years. It's like setting your house on fire and then being shocked when you have nowhere to live.
Trust issues? Check. Destroyed friendships? Probably. A support system that no longer wants to deal with you? Yeah, that too. Rebuilding from that mess takes serious effort, and in some cases, those bridges stay burned no matter how much you wish for a second chance. The moral of the story? If you don’t want long-term fallout, maybe don’t blow up your own life.
So, what do you think of this story? If you were in the poster’s shoes, would you play babysitter for a cheating ex? Let’s hear it in the comments!
Netizens side with the man saying he is not a jerk for refusing to babysit for his ex-wife
